Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 28504
A full review by gnomethang
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
This puzzle was published on Saturday 12th August
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***
Morning All! I put this just at the end of two star territory.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
Across
1a Bounty’s captain loses head with drunkard — a noted farce? (5,5)
LIGHT OPERA – Remove the head from the captain of the mutinied Bounty, William (b)LIGH, add TOPER for a drunkard and then A from the clue.
6a Drug from a police department (4)
ACID – A from the clue and the CID/police department.
10a One doomed daughter of Lear (not the Italian) (5)
GONER – GONERIL was one of King Lear’s daughters. Remove IL or ‘the’ in Italian.
11a Wine brewed nearest us (9)
SAUTERNES – An appositely brewed anagram of NEAREST US.
12a School cricket side hosted by old king (7)
COLLEGE – Place the LEG side in cricket inside Old King COLE.
13a Let down seeing scenery set in river (7)
DEFLATE – The painted sceneries on stage are known as the FLATS. Place one inside the river DEE.
14a Fresh trainees hate to increase risk (5,3,4)
RAISE THE ANTE – A fresh anagram of TRAINEES HATE.
18a Oppressed heretics fled somewhere in Derbyshire (12)
CHESTERFIELD – Another anagram, this one indicated by ‘oppressed’, of HERETICS FLED
21a A fashionable set in function that’s senseless (7)
ASININE – A from the clue then IN/fashionable set inside SINE for a (mathematical) function.
23a Make lord over in novel bonnet (7)
ENNOBLE – A reversal (over) IN nov EL BONNE t
24a Get behind with revising, being ignorant (9)
BENIGHTED – An anagram (with revising) of GET BEHIND.
25a Kid needs afternoon snacks to get energy (5)
TEASE – TEAS are afternoon snacks. Add E for Energy.
26a Pitcher of Milwaukee Brewers (4)
EWER – The jug is hidden in the baseball team of the Milwaukee Br EWER s. This is probably one of the few times where it is acceptable to have a hidden word in only one of the two (otherwise the other word is doing nothing).
27a Cover up QPR broadcast bloomers (10)
HYDRANGEAS – A homophone (broadcast) of HIDE/cover up and Queens Park RANGERS.
Down
1d What’s left, say, in flimsy surroundings (6)
LEGACY – E.G. for ‘say’ inside LACY or flimsy.
2d Scrawny mob put on plays — nothing odd about that (6)
GANGLY – A GANG or mob placed on the even letters (nothing odd) in p L a Y.
3d Trio of distant objects for less than a penny (5,9)
THREE FARTHINGS – A trio of distant objects night cryptically be referred to as THREE FAR THINGS.
4d Group chasing Poldark getting upset, one owns (9)
POSSE – A POSSE or ‘chasing group’ followed by the reversal of ROSS Poldark (I had to look uo his first name!).
5d Global tour (5)
ROUND – A cryptic definition – I guess it might have been orbit but…
7d Trick to appreciate good dancing (8)
CONGAING – A charade of CON/trick, GAIN/appreciate and G for Good.
8d Mess with attractive woman, the first one having left (8)
DISHEVEL – A DISH or attractive woman, then EVE the first woman in the Bible and finally L for Left.
9d Complaining to Heston finally about healthy meat dish (4,10)
BEEF WELLINGTON – Place BEEFING (complaining) and TO from the clue with the final letter in (Hesto) N around WELL or healthy.
15d Offer to take trouble in number 10? (4-5)
TAIL-ENDER – Place AIL or trouble inside a TENDER or offer.
16d Small pack endlessly trumpeted as thing to do with eggs? (8)
SCRAMBLE – S for small then CRAM or pack/stuff followed by BLE(w) or endlessly trumpeted/blew a trumpet.
17d Intended following of French resistance (8)
DEFIANCE – A FIANCE or intended following DE (of in French).
19d Burning a briquette initially to use no energy (6)
ABLAZE – A and B(riquette) initially followed by LAZE or use no energy.
20d Economic slump, losing one third when Parliament’s not sitting (6)
RECESS – Two thirds of a RECESS(ion) or economic slump.
22d Guard overlooking small gate (5)
ENTRY – A (s)ENTRY or guard in which the S for small has been omitted/overlooked.
Thanks to the setter – I’ll be back in two weeks.